rules and penalties

AZURE HILLS FLAG FOOTBALL RULES - DIVISION 3

Division 3 Rules and Penalties

Equipment Rules

No metal cleats. No pockets or belt loops on pants or shorts. All shirts must be tucked in.No arm pads, hands or wrist pads. Soft kneepads may be worn on knee.Flags must be worn on the hips and be pointing away from the body. A Pee Wee size ball will be used.

Field

The field will be 60 yards long with 10 yard endzones and 30 yards wide. Each zone to get a first down will be 15 yards rather than 20.

Coin Toss

During the pre-game meeting with the officials, the official will flip a coin with the visiting team calling heads or tails. The team winning the toss may choose to start on offense or defense, may choose to defer to the second half, or may choose to go a particular direction. If a team defers, they only have the choice of playing offense or defense in the second half.Teams will automatically switch directions at the half.

Scoring

Each touchdown counts for 6 pointsPoint After Tries (PAT) will be scored as follows: - 2 points—by touchdown from 7 yards out - 1 point—by touchdown from 2 yards out

Timing

There shall be two 20-minute halves. During the first 18 minutes of each half, the clock only stops after touchdowns. The clock remains stopped until the balled is snapped after the change of possession.At the 2 minute mark remaining in the each half, there shall be a 30 second timeout.After the 2 minute warning, the clock shall stop for: timeouts, an incomplete forward pass, a live ball that is run out of bounds, penalty enforcement, a score, and during a point after attempt.The clock restarts with the next snap of the ball ONLY on incomplete passes, ball-out-of-bounds, touchbacks and following timeouts. All others start when the official starts the play clock.After the official has given the ready-for-play signal, the offensive team has 30 seconds in which to snap the ball.

Each team is given 2 timeouts for each half of the game.Tie games are decided by the shootout method. Each team is given the ball an equal number of times. Each team gets 4 downs from the 20-yard line. Defense cannot return the ball for a touchdown.

GamePlay

When a team begins a possession following a score or to begin a half, the ball will be placed on the 12-yard line. There will not be kickoffs.The offensive team has 4 downs in which to move the ball into the next 15-yard zone.No direct runs are allowed within 5 yards of the goal line or on 1-point PATs. At least one ball exchange must occur before the ball can be run across the line of scrimmage.There must be 3 players set within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball. Players in motion are not considered set.Offsides (offensive or defensive) and false start are the only two penalties in which the play should be immediately whistled dead. These penalties are automatic.The ball is spotted where the hips are when the flag is pulled, not the ball. A snapped ball that hits the ground may be picked up and advanced by the offense. This applies to balls that are hiked from the center only.A defender may not strip the ball from the ball carrier.The snapper may not receive a hand-off unless he has turned 180 degrees to face his own endzone.Center must snap ball between his legs.Only one coach on the field at a time. Coaches must do their best to stay out of the play.

Ball Carrier

The ball carrier must make an attempt to go around a defender who has established position.Players may dive to catch the ball.Divingand hurdling by the ball carrier are not legal maneuvers. Spinning is not hurdling. If a player dives or hurdles, the play shall be stopped and the ball spotted at the point the runner left the ground. The clock will be managed as if the player’s flag had been pulled at the spot they left the ground.It is guarding the flags anytime: - the ball carrier’s arms or hands go below the waist and ANY contact is made between the defender and the ball carrier- the hand or arm is used to push away the defender- the ball is used to hold a defender’s hand away- the flags are held or moved by the ball carrier- the flag belts are worn so that the flags do not point outward from the waist

Blocking

The offensive blocking shall occur with no contact. The blocker shall have his/her hands and arms at his/her side or behind his/her back. Any use of the arms, elbows, legs, or knees to initiate contact during an offensive player’s screen block is illegal. A blocker may use his/her feet in order to gain position before, during and after screen blocking.Teammates of a runner or passer may interfere for him/her by screen blocking, but shall not use interlocked interference by grasping or encircling one another in any manner.

Defense

Rushers must start 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage and may rush immediately after the snap. If an exchange of the football occurs behind the line of scrimmage, all players are allowed to cross the line of scrimmage.Defensive players must attempt to go around the offensive blocker. Defensive players must not use any part of his/her arms, hands, elbows, or any part of the body to contact the offensive player.Defensive players may not impede an offensive player as they leave the line of scrimmage.Defensive players may dive for a flag.There is no minimum number of players the defense must have at the line of scrimmage.

Tackling

Tackling should be called any time the runner’s progress is impeded causing him to break stride or lose momentum. The following are examples of tackling: - Tripping a runner - Pushing a runner out-of-bounds - Pushing another player into the runner - Grasping the runner and/or clothing - Tackling him by knocking or pulling him to the ground A runner, who is tackled by the last player between them and the goal line, shall be awarded a touchdown.

Punting

All punts must be declared. There are no fake punts. Once declared, it costs a timeout to change this choice.The kicking team must have all players except the punter on the line of scrimmage. Defense must have 2 players on the line of scrimmage. No one on the line of scrimmage may move until the ball is kicked.The kicking team may not interfere with the receiving team’s right to catch the ball.

Summary of Penalties

3 Yards – DOWN OVER FROM LINE OF SCRIMMAGE - Illegal substitution - Extra Player (no effect on game) - Touch-off violation during a punt - Blocking punt - Simulation action of snap - Snapping irregularities - Three or four point stance on line of scrimmage (offense or defenese) - illegal formation (not 3 players on the line of scrimmage) - Illegal motion (players not in motion must be set for one full second) - Illegal center return hand-off - Offsides (offense or defense) NO PLAY

3 YARDS – LOSS OF DOWN FROM LINE OF SCRIMMAGE - No ball exchange before a run - Illegal forward pass (behind the line of scrimmage)

3 YARDS – LOSS OF DOWN FROM POINT OF INFRACTION - Guarding the flag - Illegal forward pass (beyond the line of scrimmage)

7 YARDS – DOWN OVER FROM LINE OF SCRIMMAGE - Illegal participation - Out of bounds player participating - Kicking into rusher - Interference of kicking team to let receiving team field the ball (beyond the line of scrimmage) - Defensive holding - Stealing the ball from the ball carrier - Offensive holding - Personal foul - Unsportsmanlike conduck

7 YARDS – LOSS OF DOWN FROM POINT OF INFRACTION - Illegal blocking (beyond the line of scrimmage - Running over defender

7 YARDS – LOSS OF DOWN FROM LINE OF SCRIMMAGE - Offensive pass interference

7 YARDS – FIRST DOWN FROM POINT OF INFRACTION - Tackling (possible TD if last man to goal line)

FIRST DOWN FROM POINT OF INFRACTION - Defensive pass interference (at the 1-yard line if it occurs in the endzone)